Muscailt to showcase new work

Stephen Reilly chats with Declan Mungovan, who is premiering his new work Anto & Me at Múscailt while also catching up with past Múscailt theatrical successes.

A scene from Clamped which can be seen during Múscailt

Before heading off to Dublin to rehearse with model and actress Vivienne Connolly, Mungovan took the time to talk to me about the new play. Last year his dark comedy Geriatric St Patrick proved to be a favourite. Building on his success, Mungovan has written his new work with the lessons of last year in mind. He feels this is a more polished piece and has attracted some very talented actors. Anto & Me is a Tarantinoesque crime caper with a uniquely Irish feel. Anyone who enjoyed Geriatric St Patrick won’t be disappointed as this is another darkly comic work. The protagonist Anto, an inner city, working class gent, finds himself held captive by a notorious crime boss. With an accomplished cast of five bodies all doing their magic, this 20-minute piece promises to be an intense and thrilling affair. Liam Hefron will be returning to play his second Mungovan role. He will be joined by Vivienne Connolly, Julian Judge and Kelly Keirns, with the lead role being filled by Alan Sherlock. Anto & Me can be seen at the Múscailt one act play competition on the 3^rd, 4th and 5th of March. In addition to his stage work, Declan’s ongoing web series Stalking 101 is fast becoming a You Tube hit.

Despite making her festival debut last year, Ann Blake can already be considered a Múscailt veteran. She performed in Justine Nakase’s play Open Heart, while her own work At A Loss won the coveted Jerome Hynes, Best Play Award. Following the festival, At A Loss was produced by Fregoli Theatre Company and again as a rehearsed reading by Limerick based theatre outfit Impact. Despite a hectic lifestyle as the lead female vocalist with The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra, Ann has found the time to return for a new role in Poor Mouth Productions version of Clamped. “I’m delighted to be involved with the Múscailt festival again this year. Winning the award last year was the perfect start to 2009 and the festival is such a wonderful opportunity to showcase and see new work that I’d hate to miss it.” Ann will be joining former colleagues from the Masters in Drama and Theatre Studies for this year’s production. Clamped stars Ann Blake, Declan O'Loughlin and Sean Perill. Those who can’t wait to see Clamped in the festival can catch it at the Axis Theatre, Ballymun from the 15th to the 19th of February.

By Stephen Reilly